Hopes of a New World
by Haelan of Rushing River
Summary: (Gender-bent Rapunzel) Robyn has always yearned to venture outside of Gothel's cold manor into the outside world. An accident involving a dragon stomping a hole through ancient wooden floor was enough to change his life for better or worse.
1. Chapter 1

_I recently re-watched Rapunzel because in chamber orchestra we're playing Antonin Dvorak's New World Symphony. Various parts of the symphony were used in many parts of this Barbie movie. I didn't tell my orchestra teacher that I knew most of the parts of the Symphony because I watched a Barbie movie, because that would be a little weird haha. Half-way through the movie I decided that it would be fun to write a different version of the story based off of Barbie's Rapunzel if Rapunzel was a boy instead of a girl. Not entirely sure why that idea struck me but eh, I'll just go with it. There isn't much romance, there's more fighting and maybe some occasional swearing throughout this story.  
_

**Chapter 1. **

"Robyn? Robyn! Come here this instant!" Gothal's impatient voice never ceased to intimidate the mousy fifteen year old.

"Coming milady!" Robyn hollered and shoved the book he had been reading under his bed.

"Be careful Robyn, take care will you?" Hobie hopped over to Robyn's leg and patted the adolescent's foot reassuringly.

"Don't worry about me Hobie, I'll be fine," Robyn gently patted the rabbit's head and smiled softly.

"Hey! Don't I get a hug too?" Penelope whined and crossed her forelimbs with a big-eyed puppy pout.

"Of course, I'll never forget about you Penelope," Robyn laughed wholeheartedly and wrapped his arms around the purple dragon cub's torso. However after a few seconds he felt the air being crushed out of his lungs.

"Ah-Penelope, can't breath," Robyn wheezed.

"Oh-oops. Sorry Robyn," Penelope smiled sheepishly and freed her human friend from her embrace. The young dragon was often unaware of the strength she possessed, but nevertheless Robyn enjoyed her company. She was a sweet and caring loyal friend. The same could be said for Hobie, whom was always concerned for Robyn's well being.

"ROBYN!" Gothal's screech resounded throughout the manor and caused Hobie's ears to flatten as he covered them with his paws.

"I should really get going," Robyn dashed out of his bedroom leaving his two and only friends looking after him sadly.

"The poor boy, I really hope she doesn't turn him into a rabbit like me," Hobie muttered to Penelope.

Once Robyn was in front of the two looming wooden doors, he paused for a few moments before cautiously knocking the door twice.

"Come in," the sorceress' voice pierced through the wood like a well calculated stab by an experienced fencer.

Robyn pushed the doors open and walked into the *Great Chamber*. Sitting upright on her grand bed was the sorceress Gothel herself with her pet ferret draped over her shoulders like an expensive fur shawl. Otto's thin tail swayed back and forth in a hypnotizing manner like a snake warning an animal with its dance of death. The sorceress' cat like eyes narrowed at the sight of Robyn and her mouth drew into a tight line explicitly displaying her distaste.

"Close the door behind you," she sniffed and waved her hand.

Robyn turned around and shut the doors which closed with an unsettling thunk.

"Ooh, looks like someone's in trouble," Otto sniggered. If Otto wasn't furry nor had four limbs, Robyn could have sworn the ferret was some sort of cold blooded reptile.

"Come here, boy."

Robyn's heart slammed against his chest and continued to pound mercilessly as his feet took him to Gothel's bedside. Every step towards bed was like a step towards hell. The sound of the heels of his boots clunking against the cold wooden floor didn't help. Robyn miraculously managed to maintain a composed expression.

"So tell me, boy, what is this?" the sorceress picked up a familiar paintbrush and a tube of paint from her dark ornate nightstand.

Robyn felt all the blood drain from his face. He cursed himself for forgetting to hide his meager art supply Penelope had given him as a souvenir from a nearby town. The paintbrush and tube of paint must have fallen onto the ground when he trying to cram the box containing his art supplies into the tiny cupboard in the pantry before Gothel returned to the manor that morning. Otto must have found them laying on the ground, because the ferret's face was stretched into a triumphant smirk while his black eyes glittered maliciously.

"I-I..."

"Spit it out!"

"I was painting," Robyn wished that the ground would swallow him up whole, because the look on Gothel's face was absolutely horrifying.

"YOU INSOLENT BOY! YOU KNOW THAT PAINTING IS FORBIDDEN!" and with that, Gothel hurled the paintbrush and the tube of paint with such brute force that the paintbrush snapped into two parts when it hit the wall and paint from the tube spattered onto the floor and the beige wall.

"I'VE CARED FOR YOU WHEN YOU WERE AN ABANDONED BABY AND THIS, THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?" the sorceress' voice thundered threateningly and the air surrounding her crackled with green sparks.

"Despicable human being," she hissed and Robyn felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up when Gothel raised her hand. He scrunched his eyes closed and balled his hands into fists. He knew all too well what would happen next. Robyn barely felt his body being levitated off the ground, he was used to this treatment. Then came the first blast. The blond had to bite down on his tongue to prevent himself from shrieking due to the shear pain he was undergoing. It felt like a million deadly sharp needles were impaling his skin everywhere. Unsatisfied with Robyn's lack of reaction, Gothel brought her hands above her head and exerted more force into the sparking green lighting striking the adolescent. Finally the pain was too much for Robyn to bear. He let out a strangled scream and his body contorted with pain. Robyn wasn't sure how long it lasted, he honestly didn't care. It felt like a millennial of excruciating pain before he was finally dropped onto the floor.

Robyn vaguely remembered Gothel ordering him to leave her room. He attempting to stand up and stumble out. He grasped onto the doorknobs with great difficultly. Suddenly, the doors flung themselves open and Robyn felt some invisible force shove him onto the ground, out of the room. The doors slammed shut and Robyn was left sprawled on the crimson rug, which did not aid his fall at all. His vision was already distorted from his punishment, but he noticed the hallway he was in was growing darker and darker by the moment which was strange because it was still midday.

"Ro..Ro," two distant voices called faintly as if the two entities were half a mile away.

Everything went black.

_Author's Note-January 31, 2015:_

_I apologize for any historical inaccuracies since this story's based off a Barbie movie... and I'm not entirely sure as what time period the story was supposed to take place... so I guess this story will take place in an alternate universe! Please feel free to give constructive criticism :). I promise the story will get less dark as it progresses (well, that is if you don't include the last chapters). I truly hope you'll enjoy this story as much as I enjoy writing it! I'll try to update as much as I can, however I cannot make any guarantees on how often I will update-it depends on how much homework I have and my motivation. I'll try to catch any typos or grammatical errors but I most likely will not catch them all._

_Disclaimer-_

_I do not own Barbie nor any of its characters. _

_**Great Chamber:** the master-bedroom of the Lord of Lady of the household _


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2.**

Robyn tried opening his eyes but the sunlight seeping through the open windows was too overpowering . He quickly closed his eyes again and groaned, rolling onto his side. Penelope and Hobie must have carried him to his bedroom and tucked him into his bed after he collapsed onto the rug unconscious.

"Hey, hey Hobie I think he's awake!" Robyn's ears and headache protested at the sound of Penelope's raucous voice which held a noticeable amount of excitement and relief. His head throbbed with severe pain. As much as he loved the dragon cub, at times he couldn't help but feel irritated.

"Oh will you quiet down? Robyn probably doesn't want to talk right now!" Hobie whispered furiously.

The blond heard light thumps against the wooden floor which were most likely Hobie hopping. He felt something land on the side of his bed's mattress which caused one side of the bed to slightly tip to the left.

"Robyn, sorry to bother you, but I need you to open your eyes for a few seconds," Robyn felt a soft, furry paw rest against his head and he felt it brush stray golden hairs covering his face. He managed to force his eyes open again, wincing at the harsh sun's rays.

"Oh dear, oh dear," Hobie tsked as well as a rabbit could and shook his head. The rabbit shifted his weight on the bed to look at Penelope.

"Penelope, could you please get Robyn a cup of water?"

"Of course! Oh-whoops," the cub clapped her hands over her mouth, remembering to keep her voice down. Robyn laughed lightly but he stopped himself because his body hurt too much. The dragon bolted out of the room with surprising agility, but managed to knock over an armoire over with her tail which crashed onto the ground with a deafening thump. Robyn's eyes widened and he felt his pulse quicken. What if Gothel had heard- Robyn paused in the middle of his thought and composed himself. He reminded himself he didn't need to worry because Gothel was always out during the morning.

"I'll fix it, sorry Robyn," Robyn gave Penelope a soft smile and nodded at the dragon who was hastily heaving the armoire back in place. In just a few moments, the feisty cub was out of sight.

"Oh Penelope," Robyn was shocked by how hoarse his voice sounded.

"Don't speak Robyn, after you drink water you can talk as much as you want," Hobie scolded.

"Mm," Robyn looked out one of his bedroom's windows with a dreamy expression.

"Today's a very fine day isn't it?" Hobie patted Robyn's shoulder. The sun which was originally unmerciful to Robyn's eyes was now mellow. Its rays gently tickled his face, it felt like an invisible light blanket. Robyn could hear the sparrows tittering and watch the breeze playfully rustle the tree's dark green leaves through his window.

"Would you like me to fetch you some books?" the rabbit asked with a slight smile.

Robyn nodded again, but then he gasped and grasped the his bedsheets.

"My chores! Gothel will kill me!" Robyn croaked, forgetting to stay quiet. That certainly wasn't an understatement.

"Robyn, Robyn calm down! Penelope and I have taken care of all of the housework," the rabbit waved his paws up and down and hushed the anxious adolescent. Robyn tried to calm himself by taking long deep breaths. Robyn reminded himself not to talk and thanked Hobie with his eyes. He couldn't wish for better friends.

"Well now, I'll go get those books from the-er basement. I trust you will stay put and rest well," Hobie patted Robyn's leg and then hopped off to the pantry where the secret room was. Robyn remembered the day he found the secret room in the pantry, it was the week before his tenth birthday.

There were numerous musty chests that were sitting in the cobweb filled room, but the chests weren't the most fascinating things in the room. The papers with strange characters and drawings on each piece sewed to two covers (which Penelope and Hobie told him was called a book) absolutely captivated Robyn's attention.

There wasn't just one book, there were hundreds resting on the dusty bookshelves waiting for someone-anybody to read them. Since Penelope's father had already taught her how to read human literature and Hobie was originally a healer who was very well educated (until Gothel kidnapped him from his little village to keep him as her own healer and then turned him into a rabbit for her own amusement), both the dragon and the rabbit decided that they would teach their human friend to read while Gothel was out doing who-knows-what during the mornings and the evenings.

Robyn didn't mind sitting on the old wooden floor because he was with his friends, and most of all he could read about the great heroes and their perilous adventures. He also read about the magical creatures- dragons, unicorns, griffins, etcetera. Penelope told him that most were extinct, or at least close to extinct because humans had always found joy in hunting those "prized creatures". Robyn ended up sobbing and clinging to the dragon. He swore he would never kill her and would protect her from any bloodthirsty hunters.

Other than the stories of magnificent heroes and creatures, Robyn and Penelope would listen to Hobie's stories of his childhood and life as a human. Gothel had always told Robyn that the people outside of the manor were evil and cruel selfish beings, but Hobie taught Robyn that there were also kind and good-natured folks.

"Earth to Robyn, he-eloo," the dragon cub waved her scaly hand in front of the bleary eyed human. Robyn blinked and then focused his attention on Penelope.

"I got you the water," she grinned proudly. Robyn took the cup from Penelope's hands and quietly thanked her. After the first few sips he realized how thirsty he was. Robyn gulped down half of the cup to quench his parched throat, but ended up choking.

"Whoa there, slow down Robyn," Penelope rubbed his back.

"Thanks Penelope," Robyn rasped and finished the rest of the cup, this time with slow and controlled sips. He handed the cup to Penelope who set it on the table near Robyn's bed.

"Aw, it was nothing," the dragon giggled and waved her hands.

Suddenly a loud sigh caused Penelope and Robyn to turn their heads.

"Phew, I've got all three. These books better be good because I pushed them all the way up the stairs and down the hallway," Hobie slapped the cover of the book on top of the pile. The rabbit wiped his head although he didn't have any sweat; it was yet another habit he inherited from originally being human.

"Here, let me help you," Penelope thumped over to Hobie and picked up the three books. She set them on the table with the cup.

"Oi, I'm not that old, mind you," Hobie retorted jokingly, but ironically the rabbit rubbed his aching back and stifled a groan. He wiggled his tail and then leapt onto the table with an impressive amount of power for an elderly rabbit. The rabbit took apart the pile and then flipped through the pages, scanning each book.

"Let's see what we have here, we have a book on weaponry, oh- the next one's Greek Mythology! I know how much you love those. Hm, the last one's about the royal family. So Robyn, which one will it be?" Hobie closed the last book and looked at Robyn with a grandfatherly twinkle in his eyes.

"You know me too well Hobie. Would you mind reading the book on Greek Mythology?"

"Why of course Robyn," Hobie chuckled, "Penelope, why don't you sit next to Robyn so that we can all take turns reading?" the rabbit suggested.

"Yup, gotcha," the dragon plopped herself onto the right side of Robyn's bed, causing Robyn to almost roll on his side because of her weight. Robyn giggled and wrapped one of his arms around the dragon's neck and the other arm around Hobie.

"I'll begin... One fateful day, Artemis the goddess of the moon, the hunt..."

Robyn lost himself in Hobie's calming voice and in a matter of seconds he was in the world of adventure. Gothel and her vicious ferret Otto were just tiny specks of dust. The blond wished that his life could always be like this.

_I really hope this wasn't too boring of a chapter for you guys, there wasn't much action nor crazy stuff out of the blue haha. Um, I just wanted to clarify that Stephan's still going to be a prince. I really hope that this doesn't stop any of you from continuing to reading, and I'm really sorry if you're disappointed by this... _

_All the best,_

_-Haelan _


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3.**

It had been an entire month since Robyn's punishment for his so-called treachery of painting. He hadn't seen Gothel, but Robyn wasn't about to complain. It was a pleasant change for once that he needn't worry about the sharp-faced woman storming into the manor, screaming her head off about frivolous matters.

"Robyn, I believe you should be fine to walk around now," Hobie smiled and hopped off the bed after he thoroughly examined Robyn.

Robyn nodded at Hobie and took a deep breath. He used his arms to scooch himself to the edge of his bed. The adolescent tentatively placed his feet on the cool, dark brown oak floor.

"Go on, take a few steps," the rabbit encouraged and motioned his paws towards the door.

"O-ok, I'll try," Robyn cautiously took a step forward, and then another. He paused for a few seconds and repeated.

"Very good, very good," Hobie praised and clapped. A smile lit up on Robyn's face. He felt like he was a child in the books he read about children taking their very first steps. Then the smile was wiped off and Robyn paused. He realized: he had no memories of being a child. His oldest memory was when he was seven and Gothel was dragging him towards the manor... and before that... there was wind, it was cold...

"Robyn, Robyn!" Hobie's ears flattened in distress and hopped towards the still adolescent as fast as he could.

"Oi, Robyn," Hobie anxiously patted the right foot of his friend, whose face was almost as white as snow. His sapphire eyes were glazed over and his lips were slightly parted. Suddenly Robyn blinked and he slowly sat himself down on the floor.

"Robyn," Hobie attempted to catch the boy's attention again by prodding his shoulder.

"Oh, sorry Hobie, I didn't notice you were there," Robyn murmured, still looking straight ahead at the hallway that led to his room.

"Thank goodness you're alright! For a second I thought a devious spirit had stolen your soul," Hobie sighed and he shook his head.

The blond went quiet again, and he looked like he was submersed in deep thought. Hobie decided it was best to let his human friend be. He waited patiently by Robyn's side and leisurely looked out the window with his paws behind his back, like the man he used to be.

"I don't have any."

"Sorry?" Hobie turned around to face Robyn, who had buried his face in his arms.

"Hobie, do you have any memories of being a young child?" Robyn lifted his head to look at the rabbit.

Hobie tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Hm, well... I remember when I was the mere age of three, I stuffed myself with all the berries my mother had picked that day. She never noticed that the berries were gone or that I was under the table with the basket. When she finally found me she gave me the worst scolding of my life. My mother could be terribly frightening when she wanted to, but she always had good intentions. She was a good woman," Hobie sighed. A poignant atmosphere settled in the room.

"Ho-Hobie, is it normal to have no memories of being a child?"

"I believe some of my friends didn't have half as good of a memory as I did, but most were able to recall their childhood," The rabbit frowned slightly, "Robyn, is this what's troubling you?"

"Yes, I cannot remember anything other than Gothel taking me to the manor when I was about seven from somewhere. Maybe she took me out that day, but anything past that is just... not there," Robyn sighed miserably.

"Oh- Hobie, maybe you can remember what I was like as a baby in the manor?"

Hobie's eyes lit up for a second, but then the rabbit's expression turned more and more dismayed as the seconds ticked by.

"I-I'm not entirely sure why, but I cannot remember," the rabbit rubbed his head.

"I really hope this isn't because of my old age," Hobie groaned and knocked his noggin.

"Hm..." Robyn sighed and stared at his bedroom's plain ceiling in contemplation.

"Where's Penelope?" the adolescent grabbed his bedpost and hoisted himself up with a little difficulty.

"In the garden practicing flying," Hobie answered, "Follow me."

The rabbit hopped out of the bedroom at a comfortable pace. Robyn followed Hobie who would look back occasionally at his friend to check on how he was faring. When they reached the garden Robyn was a little out of breath, but he reasoned that it wouldn't hurt to exercise especially since he hadn't left his bed for more than twenty days.

"Penelope!" Hobie called and waved his paws furiously over his head as he hopped up and down.

"Oh-oh wait a second, I'm coming," the dragon stuttered and hastily opened her wings. She jumped off the tree branch of the tallest tree in the garden and gracefully glided down. She nearly hit the fountain, but managed to maneuver out of the way just in time. Robyn watched her in awe and grinned at the dragon cub.

"That was a stupendous landing!" he grinned from ear to ear.

"Thanks Robyn," Penelope grinned back.

"So what's up Hobie?" she turned to the rabbit who was frantically trying to evade being hit by her swinging tail.

"Oh, not much, just trying to avoid being hit by your terrifying tail you big oaf," the rabbit jested as he patted his fur clean, causing Penelope to roll her eyes.

"Yeah, other than that."

"Well, Robyn and I were wondering whether you could remember what he was like when he was a baby here."

"Ah, I see, let me think," the dragon cub scratched her neck.

"Hmmm..."

Robyn and Hobie looked at the dragon expectantly. Finally the Penelope spoke.

"Uh.. I got nothin' sorry... But that's really strange. I have a clear memory of everything before Robyn came, but when Robyn was younger... Nope, just have memories of him when he was older," she blinked.

"This can't be a coincidence, the only explanation is that Gothel wiped everyone's memory," Robyn muttered and paced around the garden.

"Yeah, sounds like something she would do alright," the dragon frowned.

"But why? Why would she do this?! Unless-" Robyn stopped in the middle of his step and turned towards Hobie and Penelope on one leg.

"I had parents that cared for me, and she lied" he finished. He felt an excited flutter in his stomach. There was a possibility that someone, or maybe two people out there loved him- and maybe even missed him right now.

Before Hobie could say something that had to do with insulting the sorceress, the sound of great, powerful wings beating against the still air broke the silence.

"Yikes! My father!" Penelope yelped and jumped.

The magnificent dragon landed with a loud thump in the courtyard. The ground shook a little and Robyn had to cling onto the birch tree in the center of the garden to prevent himself from falling down. Hobie wasn't so lucky and ended up being shaken off his feet. On the other hand, Penelope didn't seem affected at all.

"Stay here," the Penelope whispered to Robyn and Hobie before she scurried away to meet the intimidating thousand year old dragon otherwise known as her father.

Robyn hid behind the rose bushes but peeked through the small gaps in between the thorns. Although Hugo was a menacing and powerful figure, dragons never ceased to fascinate the adolescent.

"He-hullo father," Penelope stuttered and bowed.

"Why aren't you training?" Hugo completely ignored his daughter's greeting and looked down at her with scorn. Robyn could feel Hugo speaking as the dragon's deep booming voice vibrated the air.

"I was- just not in the courtyard, I was practicing in the garden," Penelope looked in the direction in garden and tapped her index fingers together nervously.

"Hmph, very well. Now, why don't you show me what you've learned? Try flying over the magical wall," the great dragon bent his neck so that his eyes were leveled with his daughter.

"Ah-OK," Penelope shifted her weight from her right foot to her left. She began by flapped her wings a little to warm up. A few moments later she increased the speed of her wings and managed to hover a few inches above the ground. Gradually, she started to rise higher and higher. Soon, the little dragon was as high as the tallest pine tree by the manor, but then she stopped and frantically glided down.

"It's too high, it's really too high I can't do it," Robyn noticed that his friend was shaking like a leaf. He felt a wave of sympathy lap at his heart.

"What? A dragon cub that cannot fly over the magical wall? Preposterous!" Hugo scoffed and sneered at his daughter.

Robyn felt his blood boil and he glared at the larger dragon. He rose from his squatting position and stalked towards the great dragon despite Hobie's protests and attempts to keep Robyn still.

"Penelope tried her best, she has been practicing everyday. Can't you at least be a little proud and praise her instead of putting your child down?" he hissed at the dragon who turned his head and narrowed his eyes at the human.

"That human boy... Penelope, I told you to never associate with his kind!" Hugo snarled at the cowering dragon cub.

"Father, Robyn is a great friend and we have fun together."

"Enough! I've had enough of you today Penelope. You don't know how much you disappoint me," and with that, the dragon took off and soared over the magical wall. The three watched the dragon in silence until he disappeared over the mountains.

"My goodness, some father he is," Hobie's nose twitched as he hopped towards Robyn and Penelope.

"Don't you say Penelope?" the rabbit looked up at the dragon who was nearly in tears. Robyn hugged Penelope.

"Sorry, I just made things worse for you didn't I?" Robyn murmured.

"Nah, it's fine, he probably would have said something along those lines even if you didn't come out," Penelope forced a laugh and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"There, there," Hobie pet Penelope's foot and tried to sound as reassuring as he could.

"Why don't we go back to the manor, I can make something for you and Hobie. It's the least I can do for you two," Robyn smiled and patted Penelope's back.

"Does that include cookies?" Hobie's ears perked up. Penelope snorted at the rabbit.

"Yes, lots and lots of cookies," Robyn laughed.

_Man, this chapter took a lot longer than I thought it would take to write. I guess it'll be a while since anything exciting happens *sigh*. Sometimes I wonder what Gothel does when she's gone... I'm not entirely sure if I'll explain that later on..._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4.  
**

Robyn lightly tapped the gargoyle's cool, smooth nose. The floor rumbled and a familiar spiral staircase appeared in the middle of the kitchen's stone floor.

"It's only been a month, but that alone has been too long," Robyn sighed.

"Say, Robyn, hope you don't mind me bringing the cookies into the room," Hobie mumbled with his mouth full. The rabbit chuckled and stuffed another cookie into his mouth.

"Of course not," the blond smiled and made his way down the stone staircase eagerly.

"You know, if you keep on eating that many cookies, you might become so fat that you can't outrun Otto anymore," Penelope teased.

"As if! The moment I see that ghastly fiend my rabbitly instincts jump in- figuratively speaking that is," Hobie nudged Penelope with his paw, who groaned at the rabbit's pun.

"Come on, let's catch up to Robyn. He's probably already inside the room drowning himself in books," the dragon shook her head and climbed down the dimly lit staircase. Hobie hopped after her holding a plate stacked with sweet cookies.

When the dragon and rabbit entered the room, they noticed that their friend had already lit the room up with the matches and candlesticks they found a while ago. Instead of sitting on the floor with a book on his lap like he usually did, Robyn was busy rummaging through one of the dusty trunks.

"Whatcha doing Robyn?" Penelope asked and plodded over to Robyn's side.

"I don't think that we have looked through what's inside these trunks... so I thought that I might as well open them to see what's inside," the blond wiped his gold hair out of his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Ah, what a wonderful idea Robyn, we'll help you out," Hobie spoke up and hopped to the closest trunk to him, setting the plate down. Penelope followed Hobie and helped the struggling rabbit open the trunk.

"Hey Hobie, why does Robyn suddenly want to look through these old things? I thought he would want to read more," Penelope whispered and then turned around to look at Robyn, who was busying himself with sorting out the numerous items in the trunk.

"I believe it's because he wants to see if he can find any clues about his childhood," Hobie whispered back. Penelope's mouth formed a small o and the dragon nodded. Both of the animals said nothing more and continued to search through the trunk with sheer determination. They wanted to help their friend uncover the mystery of his past.

"Whoa," Robyn breathed out. Penelope and Hobie rushed over to his side.

"What is it Robyn?" Penelope looked over Robyn's shoulder. In the boy's hands was a painting of Gothel and a man. It looked like someone had slashed the man's head, which resulted in him being headless in the painting.

"Hoo boy, looks like Gothel used to have a special somebody. I wouldn't like to be in his shoes" Penelope whistled.

"Or his head," Hobie added, causing the dragon and the human to turn around and look down at him.

"Sorry, couldn't help it," the rabbit smiled sheepishly and hopped next to Robyn.

The boy's fingers trembled a little as he pushed the painting's yellowing paper back into place to see the man's face.

The man's face in the painting looked strangely familiar. Robyn furrowed his eyebrows and scrutinized the man's face. His jaw was angular and he had sharp facial features. Most striking of all was his deep emerald eyes and auburn hair. _Just like the palette of colors autumn uses for its first few weeks of fall _Robyn thought to himself. Gothel was looking at the man with seer devotion while the man seemed to be staring at her warmly like she was his sister.

"Wait a moment Robyn, I think that I have something that you might find interesting," Hobie's feet failed around helplessly in the air as he tried to pull himself out of the trunk, holding something extremely heavy-well, for a rabbit.

Penelope lifted the rabbit out of the trunk and gently set him on the ground.

"Whew, thank you Penelope."

"Anytime Hobie, anytime," the dragon grinned.

Hobie carefully brushed the dust off the sheath of a dagger with its weapon still intact, resting it its eternal slumber waiting for its rightful owner.

"Robyn, why don't you unsheathe the dagger? I can't because of my... you know," Hobie lifted up his paws, "But carefully and away from everyone's face, mind you."

Robyn picked up the sheath with the dagger and passed it from his left hand to his right. He admired the the detailed carvings on the sheathe of two elegant dragons bowing down to each other. Robyn slowly traced the expertly carved wooden sheath with his fingers, memorizing every little curve and line engraved. Finally, he unsheathed the dagger, which seemed to glow luminous silver in the candlelight. For a few seconds, Robyn thought that he was hallucinating. The dagger was growing brighter and brighter. Soon, it looked like the moon against the dark blanket of the night sky.

"I'-I'm not sure if my mind has gone bonkers... but I believe that the dagger you're holding is glowing," Hobie stuttered.

"Oh, it's glowing alright," Penelope gaped at the dagger.

Suddenly, blue letters started to shine brightly on the dagger. It didn't take long for all the letters to appear, and soon the letters spelled out words.

"Constant as the stars above, always know that you are loved. To our son Robyn on his eighth birthday," the blond murmured.

"What an odd message to inscribe on a dagger," Hobie muttered, earning a light slap on the back from Penelope who pointed at Robyn.

The gentle light emitting from the dagger slowly dimmed and room returned to its normal warm color.

"Always know that you are loved," Robyn repeated the words again, savoring them. He sat down on the wooden floor and examined the dagger by turning its hilt around in his hands.

"Say, Hobie?" the adolescent asked.

"Yes Robyn?"

"Does the book on weaponry say anything about how to wield or carry a dagger?"

"Ah, I do believe there is a section about wielding a dagger.. Robyn, may I ask why you want to know?"

"I want to find a way out of this manor and find my parents- someday I hope. Learning how to fight might be a useful skill," Robyn explained.

Hobie nodded slowly and gave a slightly sad smile, "I see, well then let me find that book."

"Thank you Hobie," Robyn pet the rabbit's head before Hobie was about to hop away.

A loud shriek pierced the air followed by a crash, causing Robyn and Hobie to whip their heads around in Penelope's direction. The dragon's leg was currently wedged in between an crack where a part of two and a half planks of wood were supposed to be.

"Sorry Robyn, I saw a spider and I freaked out... and well... you know what happened after that," the dragon chuckled nervously and attempted to free herself by pushing herself out.

"It's alright, first let's try to get you out of here," Robyn grasped Penelope's underarm, "Hobie, help me lift Penelope."

The rabbit hopped over to the dragon's side and helped Robyn hoist Penelope out of the pit. After three futile attempts, Robyn decided to pull Penelope out from a different angle. This time the dragon's leg was freed.

"Whew, thanks guys," Penelope sighed. The dragon's leg wasn't injured, in fact the floor seemed to have taken a greater toll thanks to Penelope's impenetrable dragon scales.

Robyn leaned over the pit and borrowed a candle holder resting on a nearby table. He shone the light and gasped. The hole lead to a tunnel. Not just any tunnel, but one that had wind flowing through it like a rapid river. This could only mean one thing.

"This is the passage to the outside world," Robyn breathed out, and a smile graced his delicate face.

_I was originally going to post this chapter two days ago, but I think fanfiction was down so I had to wait until today. Oh yeah, there was also a storm two nights ago. Over the course of ten minutes, the power almost went out three times in a row... right when I chose to write my story. Also, some creature tried to scratch its way into my room *shudder*. It always comes when it's a) really cold (so basically all winter long around 8:00pm-1:00am... just when I'm trying to get some sleep) b) extremely stormy. It's probably a possum but I'm not entirely sure... _

_-Halean_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5.**

Robyn felt as if fine, invisible strings were tugging him and drawing him near the dark tunnel. His heart was urging him to jump, and a strange sentiment he had never felt before stirred within the depths of his very soul. The adolescent didn't notice his friends calling out to him nor that he was at the verge where the wooden planks and bustling wind met.

He jumped. The wind brushed against his face and tousled his hair. Robyn felt his stomach lurch and his hands tightened into fists. It only took a few seconds for his feet to meet the uneven and cracked stone floor. Robyn was surprised that he hadn't dropped the candle holder. The flame flickered slightly and was blown back by the wind, but nevertheless it still continued to burn softly in the dark.

"Oh for goodness' sake! What in the world are you doing Robyn?" Hobie groaned. Robyn had to hold up the candle to discern the rabbit's horrified face looking down at him.

"Penelope, please give Robyn a hand to get him out."

"On it," Penelope's voice was followed by the loud thump of the dragon laying down to lean over the crack.

"Wait!" Robyn reached his hand out towards his friends. He wasn't sure what compelled him to protest.

"Pardon?" Hobie frowned.

"Gothel won't be back until two in the afternoon- I have about five hours at the very least... I want to explore this tunnel." _and find a way out to the outside world..._

"Robyn, listen to yourself," Hobie helplessly motioned his paws in the air, "I know you're eager to see the outside world for yourself, but think this through.. please."

Robyn was loss for words. He knew that he was being extremely irrational, but he couldn't contain his urge to explore what laid beyond the magical barrier. Every day that he spent within the manor, no matter how pleasant, still left Robyn feeling unsatisfied. The trapped robin must free itself from its cage and sing its sweet song while flying across the ocean blue sky. The doors of opportunity had been opened, and Robyn was going to take that chance. It was now or never.

"Hobie... I-"

The second Hobie saw the expression on Robyn's face, he knew that he wouldn't be able to convince his friend to turn back.

"Robyn, give me a few moments. Penelope, give Robyn his dagger will you?" Robyn heard the rabbit hop away. The boy hastily set the candle holder behind him and hoped that the flame wouldn't die out.

"Heads up Robyn, catch!" the adolescent caught the sheathe of the dagger with both of his hands.

"Thanks Penelope," Robyn tilted his head up and caught a glimpse of the outline of the dragon cub swishing her tail back and forth. He carefully slid it into his boot so that he could reach it when he needed it.

"Robyn, please take care of this cloak and don't lose the matches I placed in its pocket," Hobie tossed a dark emerald cloak to Robyn. It billowed and flowed slightly to the left before Robyn grabbed it.

"Wear it at all times with the hood on. Oh, and don't try to attract unnecessary attention," the rabbit nervously lectured the adolescent.

Robyn tied the silky strings of the cloak into a neat little bow and drew the hood over his head.

"And remember to refuse any beverages or food from strangers."

"I understand Hobie, don't worry too much about me. I'm almost sixteen, I think that I can manage," Robyn smiled reassuringly at the rabbit before kneeling down to pick up the candle.

"Come back before two!" Hobie called after Robyn.

"Of course Hobie. Farewell, I'll see you two soon," Robyn turned around and offered his friends one of his lighthearted smiles with his head slightly tilted to the side.

Then the adolescent continued to walk further into the dark abyss of the tunnel.

Robyn had to cup his hand in front of the dancing flame to prevent it from flickering out. He nearly stepped on some mice scurrying by. He forced down a yell and shakily calmed himself. Robyn scolded himself for almost dropping the candle holder. The rest of his journey was rather event less. He followed the direction of the whispering wind which beckoned him more and more urgently. Then he heard a familiar noise that was honey to his ears. The pleasant chirping of the sparrows. The adolescent's lips turned up slightly and he quickened his pace. Then he noticed the ground no longer consisted of rugged stone bricks but natural rock. As he continued, Robyn saw a wavering curtain of vines flowing in the summer breeze a few feet away. Robyn blew out the candle and set it on the ground near the cave's entrance just barely behind the wavering vines. He breathed in and used his hand to part the greenery. He stepped out of the cave and into the glorious sunlight.

Robyn gasped. He was on top of a grassy hill that was sprinkled scarcely with vibrant flowers here and there. A few trees stood upright proudly and offered small blankets of shade. The wind seemed to congratulate Robyn and affectionately ruffled his golden sunlit hair. About half a mile away was a quaint little village. The charming houses were made of chocolate brown tiled roofs and cream colored daub. Most majestic of all was the castle which overlooked the village from the hill it was perched on. The sunlight washed over its light surface, making it appear as though the castle itself was glowing. It stole the breath from Robyn's throat as he stared at it in wonder.

Robyn wandered down the hillside and took his time to drink in the beautiful scenery. When he reached the entrance of the village, he felt his heart jump ever so slightly. There were humans. Robyn had never interacted other humans before- Gothel was an exception. Even if he had, he couldn't remember.

Robyn frowned slightly to himself. He wasn't going to let his anxiety get the better of him. He took a step forward and stepped onto the village's cobbled streets. It didn't take long for Robyn to get carried in the direction of the stream of bustling villagers.

"Pastries, pastries! Warm and freshly baked!" a plump, stout man called out to the crowd as he held up a tray loaded with steaming buns and rolls. Robyn's mouth watered slightly when the aroma of the sweets wafted towards him.

"Miss, would you like a pastry?" Robyn's hunger vanished almost in an instant and he inhaled sharply in shock. Had the baker just called him Miss?

"No-no thank you," Robyn stuttered slightly and tugged the hood of his cloak over he head. He rushed away. Suddenly, the crowd was too much for Robyn to take. He had to find a place with less people and less noise. He hugged his cloak closer to his body and kept his head down.

Robyn nearly sighed out of relief when he saw a path leading out of the town into a meadow. Despite the meadow's lovely appearance, none of the townspeople seemed drawn to it. Most walked by the path and didn't spare a single glance to their right. Perfect. Robyn sat himself under a hazel tree and hummed quietly to himself.

"Woah! Woah Botticelli!" a high pitched voice giggled. Robyn peered from under his hood and saw a small girl tug at a white horse's reigns. What was more surprising was the other two girls riding the horse. Robyn guessed they were triplets since they looked alike except for their hair and eyes. The three girls slid off the horse's back onto the lush grass. The blond triple pet the horse, who nudged her hand away gently. He stole the apple the redhead triple was about to eat from her hand then scoffed it down.

"Hey!" she protested while her siblings laughed. Soon, she joined in.

"I think he's still hungry," one of the sisters giggled.

"Oh! Look! An apple tree!"

The girls turned in the direction of the apple tree and their faces lit up. Its crimson fruits hung from its branches temptingly.

"I'll go get some for all of us," the blond triple eagerly darted towards the tree, but suddenly a shriek sliced through the pleasant atmosphere. The blond had disappeared and a dark hole was in her place.

"Katrina!" her sisters shrieked. Robyn jumped to his feet and ran over to the edge of the hole. The girl was desperately clinging onto a root of a tree sticking out of the wall of the hole. A mesh of thorns entwined together impatiently held their claws open to embrace the trembling girl at the bottom of the pit.

"I'll go get help!" the brunette jumped onto Botticelli and rode away.

Robyn laid on his stomach and gingerly pushed himself to the edge of the hole. He stretched out his hand to the terrified girl.

"Grab my hand," Robyn attempted the extend his hand further. The girl tried to reach for Robyn, but quickly hugged the tree's root afterwards.

"I can't," she cried out. Tears were starting to fill her eyes.

"It's OK, just take off one hand and reach up," Robyn instructed calmly despite his feelings being a jumble of fear and anxiety for the girl's safety.

"Uh," the girl grunted, and this time she succeeded in grabbing Robyn's hand.

"Good job, you're almost out," Robyn smiled at the girl, who beamed back. She held onto Robyn's hand as she climbed the steep wall. Suddenly, she slipped and let out a startled shriek, pulling Robyn down with her. His heart skipped a beat. Then strong hands grasped his waist and pulled him back to safety. Unfortunately, Robyn's shift of weight caused him to fall into his savior's arms. He quickly freed himself from his savior's embrace, unused to being held by anyone but Penelope or Hobie. The girl was fine and stood shakily.

"Brother!" the little girl sobbed and threw her arms around the male that appeared to be a little older than Robyn.

"Katrina, I'm so glad that you're safe," he hugged his sister tightly and stroked her hair.

"Why didn't you listen to father? You three aren't supposed to be wandering around on your own."

"We-we wanted to surprise Tommy since today was his birthday. I thought that if we rode around we could find some flowers for him. Of course no one else could know, because then it wouldn't be a surprise," Katrina sniffed and her lower lip trembled.

"Oh Katrina," her brother sighed.

Although Robyn did enjoy watching the sister and brother's heartwarming reunion, he couldn't help but feel awkward. He shifted his weight from his left foot to his right and looked at the ground.

"My apologies, I haven't thanked you for saving my sister."

Robyn blinked and looked up at the other male. His face was chiseled and breathtakingly flawless like a statue's face carved by the most skillful sculptor. His fine light brown hair was neatly brushed back and his eyes were deep blue lakes shaded by eyelashes. That's when Robyn's eyes trailed to the sword strapped to the hip of the older adolescent. The gears in Robyn's brain clicked and started to whirl, piecing the little details together until it formed a clear image. The fancy dresses the sisters were wearing, the sword strapped to their brother's hip... Robyn stared stunned, once again all the words he was about to utter dissipated from his mind, dissolved by his astonishment.

The prince's eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly and his eyes filled with concern, "Miss, are you alright?"

Robyn snapped back to reality, mainly because the prince had spoken. To Robyn's annoyance, the prince had also thought that he was a girl. Pushing that thought aside, Robyn focused on the more important issue.

Robyn *genuflected* and averted his embarrassed gaze to the ground, "Your majesty."

_Author's Note- February 10, 2015_

_I wanted to take a break from homework because it gets pretty tiring writing essays, computer programs, chemistry problems *cough* Hess' Law, etc. ect... High school's not horrible, it's just that sometimes the work load piles up and crushes me. *sigh* And I heard that the last two years of high school are the hardest! I'm not sure how I'll survive haha. On the bright side in symphonic orchestra we've actually started playing the New World Symphony with the band! We listened to the professional recording before we attempted to play the piece. Each of the movements of the piece made me remember a specific scene of the movie. I squealed when my favorite part of the symphony started playing, it gave me the goosebumps! But when we actually tried to play the piece I nearly burst out laughing because we were murdering it. Antonin Dvorak would have run out screaming if he heard us play this piece. My apologizes Mr. Dvorak, I will practice harder so hopefully by next week I will be able to play at least ten measures decently. I hope you guys will have a wonderful week and a stress-free weekend!  
_

_All the best,_

_-Haelan _

_**genuflect**: to __bend one's knee and bow submissively. It was a gesture used to show respect in the old days.  
_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6. **

Stefan's perspective

"Ah, there's no need to kneel before me. Arise miss," the prince hastily ordered.

The hooded figure nodded and slowly rose, "As you wish your highness."

"Please-call me Stefan. You've saved my sister's life, you have every right to call me by my first name," the prince smiled.

The cloaked figure coughed quietly and stuttered, "Ok Stefan... It's an honor to meet you and all, but I just wanted to tell you I'm not a girl," the last words came out as more of a mutter. The other looked the side, abashed.

"Pardon?" Stefan's eyebrows shot up. He scrutinized the other's face. His or her face was rather feminine and angelic.

_It can't be._

Stephan acted more out of impulse rather than logic, forgetting all the manners that were nailed firmly into his mind as a child. He reached for the hood of the cloak, causing the other to flinch. Stefan ignored the other's reaction and took hold of the silky emerald material and pulled off the hood. All the doubt that originally lurked in the dark corners of Stefan's mind were washed away by the boy's appearance.

Robyn's perspective

Robyn quickly pulled his hood back up and his face flushed red as he indignantly looked away from the prince. He wasn't entirely sure why, but it irritated him that the prince actually had to remove his hood to ensure he was a boy. Did he really look that much like girl?

"Well, I should leave soon. I have to be home by two. Farewell your highness," Robyn's tone out came a bit harsher than he intended it to sound. He felt a little guilty, but he brushed away the feeling and started to head towards the village.

"Wait! Please, come back!" Robyn paused and turned around. The prince was running after him with a surprisingly desperate look on his face.

"Isn't there anything you'd like in return for saving my sister's life?"

Robyn sighed, "No thank you. The princess is still alive and that is enough of a reward for me," the adolescent smiled at Katrina, who bashfully looked up to him.

"Then may I request my reward since I did save you from falling," Stefan smirked boldly.

Robyn stared at the prince, speechless. The nerve of the prince was shocking.

"I want you to come to this place at least once every week at ten in the morning to meet me."

Robyn almost blurted out, "No! And why on Earth would you want to see me again?" but he refrained himself from doing so by swallowing down his words of protest. Of course, Stefan was a prince, and princes usually got their way. Disobeying a prince's word was a despicable crime- well, according to all the books Robyn had read about royalty. He forced himself to look up at the prince, whose eyes seem to be challenging Robyn to say no.

"Al-alright then," Robyn murmured unwillingly.

"And may I ask for your name?" Stefan looked at Robyn curiously.

"Robyn, just Robyn," he answered hesitantly. He reminded himself to keep the rest of his secrets locked away in the chest of classified information in his mind. He wasn't planning on letting the prince unlock that chest any time soon.

"I should really get going now," Robyn quickly walked away. He knew that it wasn't proper to speak to the prince in this manner, but it also wasn't proper for the prince to take off his hood without asking for permission.

"Farewell Robyn, I'll see you a week from now," the prince called after him. Robyn looked back at the prince and waved briefly before he disappeared into the boisterous crowd of villagers.

It took thirty minutes for Robyn to walk all the way back to the manor. Once he was under the hole, he saw Penelope's head peeping from above.

"Robyn! You're back!" she exclaimed, "Give me a few seconds, I'll get a ladder."

Robyn heard the dragon scurry away for a few moments. It wasn't long before he heard her footsteps running back .

"Watch out, I'm lowering the ladder down the crack," the dragon grunted. Robyn waited patiently for the dragon to finish. He climbed up the ladder and then hugged Penelope after he was out.

"Whoa, what's with the gushy feelings?" Penelope laughed and patted Robyn's back.

Robyn looked at Penelope miserably, "I met a prince."

"Ah-uh, sorry, what's so bad about that?" Penelope scratched her head.

Before Robyn knew it, he was spilling everything out to Penelope. The dragon nodded and uttered a few "ahs" and "ohs".

"Well... that's um. Interesting?" Penelope didn't know how to react.

Robyn sighed loudly and ruffled his hair with his hand as he paced around the room, "What am I supposed to do? I have to meet him again!" Robyn crossed his arms and let out a huff. He hated how the prince basically forced him to come back next week. Not because he disliked visiting the village but because he hated being treated like some pet that served its master. Robyn already had one "master", and one was enough.

"Meet who again?" Robyn and Penelope whirled around to spot Hobie hopping down the stairs.

Robyn looked pleadingly at Penelope to explain.

"Er... well, you see..." Penelope stammered and nervously looked back and forth between Robyn and Hobie.

Robyn averted his gaze to the ground while Penelope informed the rabbit about Robyn's encounter with the prince. Hobie remained silent and his nose twitched once in a while as he listened carefully.

"Oh Robyn..." Hobie sighed.

"I know, I know, I was too conspicuous... But I couldn't have let the Katrina die, could I?" Robyn murmured. The adolescent's eyes filled with uncertainty and his face became troubled.

"It's dangerous to go out to the village on a regular basis because Gothel may find out... however I guess Penelope and I can help. You did well Robyn," Hobie smiled wearily.

"Well? How did I do well? By drawing my attention to myself and potentially endangering the prince's and my life?" Robyn laughed softly.

"No Robyn. You did well in saving the princess' life. I'm proud of the selfless man you've become," Hobie patted Robyn's foot like he usually did.

"Me? A man? Hobie, don't tell me that you think I'm that old already!" Robyn jested and picked up the elderly rabbit, spinning Hobie around while giggling.

"Oi! Put me down Robyn!" Hobie protested, "I swear I'm getting too old for this! Penelope, save me!" the rabbit hollered at the dragon who chuckled.

"At your service my furry friend!" Penelope mocked a valiant tone and grabbed the rabbit from Robyn's hands.

"My goodness, thank you," the rabbit wiped his lopsided ear out of his face.

"We should probably go, Gothel will return any minute now," Penelope carried the grumbling rabbit and walked up the stairs.

"Ya coming Robyn?" Penelope asked.

"Yes, I just need to take off my cloak," Robyn's voice was slightly muffled. He let out a satisfied sigh after he managed to pull the cloak over his head.

"Ok, I'm coming!" Robyn raced up the stairs laughing as he caught up to his friends.

Stefan's POV

It was around six in the evening, the *Great Hall* was filled with the sounds of merry chatter and occasional laughter which resounded rambunctiously. The warm orange candles that hung from the high stone *barrel vaulted* ceiling added to the comforting and cheerful atmosphere. Stefan's father, King Fredrick, sat on the grandest chair in middle of the high table which rested on the platform above normal ground, where the rest of the Lords and Ladies were seated. The King's children were seated on each of his sides equally. King Fredrick stood up the the noise quelled. He laughed heartily and spread his arms.

"My good and loyal subjects! May you enjoy this feast so graciously bestowed before you in honor of my son, Prince Thomas. This day marks his tenth birthday. Rise my friends and participate in this toast to the health of Prince Thomas!" the King's voice boomed throughout the Hall. King Fredrick's eyes twinkled and his subjects obediently rose to their feet with their glistening goblets filled with wine raised.

"Hear, hear!" the Lords and Ladies chanted. Everyone took a sip from their goblet and then seated themselves.

"May the feast commence!"

The Hall buzzed with enthusiastic chatter as the subjects started to dig into their meal. King Fredrick clapped Tommy's shoulder as he beamed proudly.

Stefan allowed himself to take a few bites of his palatable meal. He realized that he still couldn't stop grinning to himself.

"Why are you smiling Stefan?" Tommy asked, looking up at his brother, puzzled. The ten year old shoveled a large piece of beef into his mouth and continued to stare at his brother.

"I've made a friend today," Stefan stared at his favorite crimson banner of a Griffin hanging from the wall. It was suspended in the middle of the air along with the other colorful banners displayed.

That wasn't entirely true. Stefan was positive that Robyn was still offended by his rather rude behavior this morning. Stefan chided himself when he remembered how impolite he was. The prince frowned slightly. It was quite unusual for him to be ill-mannered, but... it was the first time he had seen another boy that was around his age. Of course, Tommy was a wonderful brother but Stefan had always wished to have a friend that could understand him better. When Stefan saw Robyn, he knew that he to take extreme measures to ensure that he could see him again. He didn't want to lose a potential friend.

"So, this friend of yours, what is he like Stefan?" Ailith, Stefan's twin, smiled mischievously at her brother. She rested her face on her hands.

"She-I mean he saved me!" Katrina piped up, eager to contribute to the conversation.

"Saved you?" Ailith leaned towards her younger sister curiously. Katrina must have remembered that if she mentioned the incident, especially with her father around, she would be in great trouble.

"Uh, yeah! Oh, Ailith! Look! I think Lucio wants to talk to you!" Katrina quickly changed the topic, hoping that her sister wouldn't ask anymore questions.

Ailith's head whipped in the direction of the chef's young Spaniard apprentice, who was smiling warmly at the her.

"Excuse me for a moment father," the eldest princess lightly set her hand on her father's forearm.

"Ailith my dear, where are you going?" King Fredrick's eyebrows rose slightly.

"I have some matters I must attend to," Ailith looked at her father pleadingly.

"Oh! Ah-I understand, go ahead my dear!" the King awkwardly stuttered and gave small nod. Stefan observed his father and sister's exchange inquisitively.

Ailith nodded back and rushed out of the Great Hall. Stefan noticed Lucio following the princess. He shook his head and he felt his lips turn up slightly.

Although Ailith was his twin, they barely resembled each other. Whereas Stefan had light brown hair he inherited from his deceased mother and blue eyes from his father, Ailith had ebony hair like her father's and light brown eyes constantly filled with mischief like their mother's.

"I hope that she doesn't get into too much trouble with Lucio," Stefan sighed to himself.

"What did you say big brother?" Tommy asked with his mouth full. The youngster was currently trying to tear off a chunk of his drumstick like a ravenous dog.

"Nothing you should worry about Tommy," Stefan ruffled his brother's hair, who protested loudly but gave Stefan a huge grin.

_Author's note-February 13, 2015_

_Ailith and Lucio are not actually from the movie, they're just figments of my imagination. I wanted there to be at least another female character other than Gothel (who is the antagonist). My cousin was my inspiration for Ailith and as for Lucio... I'm learning Spanish in school so I thought that it would be cool to have a Spanish character in my story too. _

_Have a wonderful weekend everyone!_

_-Halean _

_**Great Hall:** The meeting/dining place in a castle._

_**Barrel Vault: **(it's rather hard for me to describe in words. It's easier to get the picture by looking up it up online (sorry guys!))_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7.**

The week passed by as quickly and fleetingly as a hummingbird fluttering past Robyn's eyes. He let out a sigh and put on the elegant cloak that laid folded on the table, untouched for a exactly seven days.

Hobie's ears were nervously twitching and the rabbit brushed his nose with his paw every now and then. Penelope wasn't in the secret room merely because she had to practice flying. Her father had been coming more and more often to check on her progress. Robyn suspected that this was because Hugo wanted his daughter to be so busy that she wouldn't have time to "associate with lowly humans."

The adolescent finished dressing himself by dexterously tying the two strings into a bow and drawing the hood up.

"Do you have your dagger?" Hobie scanned his friend with his eyes up and down to confirm Robyn was thoroughly armed for his short trip outside.

"Yes, here," Robyn bent down and patted his right boot.

"What about the matches?" Hobie's nose quivered and the rabbit anxiously prodded his paws together.

"Yes, I have them in my pocket," Robyn climbed down the ladder with one hand grasping the wood and the other holding the candle holder.

"Remember, two o' clock!" Hobie called after the adolescent as his foot thumped against the floor.

"I know, I know," Robyn sighed and smiled exasperatedly. The blond wasn't planning on doing anything rash, especially since he knew how concerned Hobie was for him.

"Oh, and Robyn?"

"Yes?"

"Try to have fun, will you?" despite how nervous Hobie was, the rabbit still managed to crack a smile at Robyn.

"I'll try Hobie," the adolescent laughed. He turned around and his cloak swished. Soon, Robyn melted into the darkness. All that was visible was the bobbing light of the candle that refused to dim.

Robyn was proud to say that he had managed to make it to the meadow in one piece. He hadn't encountered any mice nor any nosy folks on the way. The meadow was just as pleasant as it was the week before, the only difference was the hazardous ditch pit filled with thorns was filled up and packed with dirt. Robyn walked under the leafy branches of an oak tree which graciously offered shade. He breathed in deeply, allow the fresh, sweet morning air fill his lungs.

Suddenly, a peal of the bells clanged loudly and reverberated through the originally peaceful morning air. The adolescent gasped and covered his ears. A flock of nearby birds squawked in alarm and took off into the air in a flurry of frightened screeches and feathers. After the bells finished their deafening tune, the loudest bell tolled. Each ring was equally loud and lengthy. Robyn cringed and counted the number of times the bell rang. _Ten times. I guess I'm on time. As for the prince..._

Robyn let his back rest against the rough bark of the oak tree and he crossed his arms. He spent ten minutes idly staring at the sky and the fluffy clouds that hovered from above. Soon, Robyn's legs started to feel stiff. Five more minutes passed, and Robyn let out an irritated sigh. The adolescent slowly rose to his feet. _I'm going to wait for five more minutes... If the prince doesn't show up... I guess I'll just have to leave won't I? _

Robyn decided that a more enjoyable way to pass time would be practicing dueling an invisible opponent with his dagger. Over the past week, Robyn had taught himself how to execute some moves by reading the book on weaponry. He pulled the wooden sheathe out of his boot. Robyn felt his hands tingle slightly when he unsheathed the dagger with a satisfying _shing_. Although Robyn had read about how to wield a sword (he couldn't find any sections in the book that explained how to wield a dagger), he hadn't had the chance to actually practice. Butterflies frantically fluttered in his stomach.

The blond carefully set the ornately decorated sheathe by the broad trunk of the oak tree and walked to the center of the meadow. He set up his stance and made sure that his feet were correctly spread apart and his shoulders were completely relaxed. Robyn exhaled and stared ahead of himself attentively. He imagined his opponent who was an averagely tall man with a similar weapon. The man smirked cockily at Robyn who narrowed his eyes.

"En garde!" an imaginary bystander shouted.

Robyn wasn't sure whether he was parrying correctly nor if his counter attacks were effective, but he continued to furiously attack his nonexistent opponent. Time flew by and Robyn became increasingly engaged. It became harder and harder to breathe, but Robyn still continued to slash at the air with unwavering determination.

"Sorry I'm late," an apologetic voice disrupted Robyn's focus and dissipated the adolescent's figments of imagination. The man and the judge vanished into thin air.

Robyn let out a startled yelp and fell on his bum. The dagger landed on ground matted with lush grass with a soft thump.

Robyn looked up and saw Stefan trying to hold in his laughter. He felt his face flush pink.

"Wh-when did you get here?" Robyn fumbled for his dagger. Stefan offered a hand and Robyn took it. The prince hoisted him up with little difficultly. Robyn reasoned this was either because he was either extremely light or the prince was incredibly strong. Maybe it was a little of both.

"A few minutes ago," Stefan laughed. Robyn didn't dare to look the prince in the eye. He was too embarrassed that the prince had caught him waving his dagger in the air like a madman.

"Your technique is... interesting," Stefan grinned. Robyn felt his face turn rosy red.

"Ye-yeah I know, I'm pretty bad," Robyn laughed awkwardly.

"No! I mean sorry, I didn't mean interesting in a bad way. I just found it fascinating how your technique you use for wielding the dagger is rather old fashioned, not to mention it's supposed to be used for a sword."

"Ah, I see," Robyn gave a small nod and fiddled with the strings of his cloak.

"Who taught you?" Stefan looked down at the mousy adolescent with curiosity.

"Actually... I taught myself, by reading," Robyn murmured. He swore he was going to die of embarrassment. Luckily Stefan didn't mock him like he thought he would. Instead, an impressed smile graced the prince's impeccable face.

"Say, would you like me to teach you?" the prince offered and turned to Robyn with a large grin.

"Would you really? I don't want to burden you," Robyn tried to hide his excitement, but the prince's smile grew wider when he saw the hope shining in Robyn's blue eyes. The aquamarine ocean in Robyn's eyes was sparkling, Stefan felt its invisible waters drawing him in.

"Burden? Why of course not! It's the least I can do for making you wait so long," Stefan cleared his throat and quickly averted his eyes from Robyn's. The prince proceeded with his lesson.

_Author's Note-February 16, 2015_

_Like most of the chapters I had to do some research. Today I did some research for the next chapter and I looked up "how to fight with a dagger"... I ended up "learning" how to with my ballpoint pen. Honestly I felt like if one of my parents walked in on me they would stare at me strangely before slowly backing out the door and shutting it behind them. I wouldn't blame them, seeing your child watching a buff military man instructing him/her how to use a dagger in a YouTube video can be pretty unsettling... I swear, I never thought that "small knives" could inflict a lot of damage but *shudder*, those weapons are more dangerous than they appear to be. Sorry for the short chapter, I'll try to make the next one longer!  
_

_Farewell for now,_

_-Haelan _


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8.**

"Here, the tree may provide a better target than the air," as Stefan jogged towards the old but robust oak tree, he gestured Robyn to follow him.

Once the two were by the proud oak's trunk, the prince patted the tree and smiled at it like it was an old friend.

"This tree was here long before even my grandfather was born. I can't help but admire how it still manages to thrive despite its old age," Stefan looked up to the tree's branches which reached for the sky, "I hope that you don't mind us using you for practice,"Stefan murmured just loud enough for Robyn to barely make out what the prince said.

The prince kneeled down on the ground and picked up various tree branches that were originally scattered on the dark brown ground surrounding the tree. Robyn watched curiously as the prince discarded some of the branches. Soon, only two straight branches about the length of an average dagger were left in Stefan's hand. The brunette rose gracefully to his feet, staring at the branches with a satisfied smile.

"Catch," the prince gave a mischievous grin and tossed one of the branches at Robyn, who blinked and caught it just before it hit the ground.

"Hey!" Robyn laughed. Stefan gave a deceptively charming smile, but his eyes still glinted impishly.

"First let's focus on the grip. The forward grip should be the first grip you use, especially since it's the most comfortable and traditional," Stefan wrapped his fingers around the stick like it was a dagger. Robyn attentively watched Stefan. The blond carefully placed his fingers on his own stick in the exact position the prince was gripping his dagger. Stefan gave a small smile and nodded approval.

"When I was observing you sparring, I noticed your stance was correct. That is quite impressive for a beginner, I want you to continue keeping that stance while you attack."

Stefan flicked the branch like a knife which spun in a circle before he gripped it in a forward grip. Then the prince started to attack. In a series of graceful and sophisticated movements of his arms and legs, Stefan slashed and stabbed the tree. Robyn watched in awe and his eyes shone with admiration. Stefan tried his best not to smile and focused all his attention on striking the tree trunk with the precision of a lion executing its final claw of death upon its unfortunate prey.

Robyn understood why Stefan chose to use a branch instead of a dagger. If the prince had used his dagger, the tree's bark would have easily been sliced into shreds.

"Why don't you try? Slower though, much slower," the prince stepped out of the way, "Milady," Stefan bowed and looked up at Robyn teasingly.

"I'm not a woman," Robyn protested and tried his best not to laugh, but he was failing miserably.

"Alright then Sir Robyn, why don't you show me what you can do?" the prince crossed his arms and grinned.

Robyn anxiously looked at the tree in front of him. _Calm down Robyn, it's just a tree. A tall, burly tree that cannot hurt you. Why on Earth are you nervous?_ The adolescent hopped on his feet lightly, then he glanced to his side. The prince was observing him like a hawk. Robyn realized it was only natural for him to feel unnerved when someone was staring so intently at him. He shook away the unsettling feeling and started slashing and stabbing the tree with his stick. Every movement felt strangely natural, like he had practiced the dagger before at a young age. Little by little, Robyn increased his tempo. Soon he was attacking almost at the same speed as Stefan was just a few minutes ago. He didn't bother sparing a glance at the prince, the adolescent continued his relentless assault on the tree's trunk. Suddenly, his arms started to feel heavy like some invisible force was pushing in the opposite direction of his movements. Robyn's breathe turned into pants and it became harder and harder to accurately strike his target.

_Ding dong ding dong ding dong  
_

The adolescent dropped the branch reflexively to clamp his hands over his ears. The peal of bells resounded throughout the town once again to mark the birth of a new hour. The loudest bell tolled, instead of ten it rang eleven times. After the bell finished its last note, town was quiet except for the remaining ringing of the bell which was drawn out in a long hum.

"Are you alright?" Stefan asked, the prince's eyebrows were furrowed and he directed his concerned gaze towards Robyn.

"I guess," Robyn laughed, which sounded more like a sigh, "How do your ears survive those dreadfully loud sounds?"

"I suppose I got used to them. If you've lived here for sixteen years it's only natural," suddenly, the prince blinked, "Robyn, you don't live in Ethelburg do you?"

Robyn shook his head in response.

"Then... are you from Aethelburh, Wilhelm's kingdom?" the prince emphasized the last two words a little sharply.

"No-no, I lived in the woods," Robyn nervously debated whether he had made the right choice to tell Stefan where he lived, but he knew it was better than telling the prince he lived in... Aethl... ber... or whatever that kingdom was called. Stefan seemed to hold great resentment towards Wilhelm, who Robyn assumed was the king.

"The woods?!" Stefan seemed to have forgotten his princely manners yet again because his voice grew considerably louder, causing Robyn to flinch. The prince noticed and coughed softly. He gave Robyn an apologetic look.

"Sorry, I was just er-startled. Not many people go into the woods, much less live there. Aren't there dangerous beasts lurking in the woods?" Stefan was staring at Robyn like he was a mage that had materialized out of thin air.

"The place I live in is heavily shielded," Robyn tried to be as vague as possible. Stefan was about to asked another question, but the he was interrupted by a slightly annoyed voice from above. Robyn silently thanked whoever stopped Stefan from asking him more questions.

"Stefan! I have been searching for you everywhere! Father wishes to talk to you," a female pulled down her hood, revealing a delicate and flawless face that slightly resembled Stefan's. She gaze wandered over to Robyn, and her face lit up as if she was pleasantly surprised.

"Oh! You must be Stefan's friend he was talking about last week. I'm sorry, but I must take my brother," the princess gave an apologetic smile. Robyn realized he was in the presence of another royal and bowed.

"Your highness."

"Oh no! Please, that won't be necessary! Any friend of Stefan's is a friend of mine. Ailith is fine, just Ailith," the princess hastily gestured Robyn to rise with a grin.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ailith," Robyn smiled softly.

"No need to be so formal, she's just my sister," Stefan nudged his sister playfully, who shoved her brother in return with a laugh.

"I'll see you next week then?" Stefan looked at Robyn expectantly. The blond nodded and offered the prince a smile.

"Stefan, we really must hurry. Father will be very cross if we take too long," Ailith tugged her brother's arm.

"Farewell Robyn," the twins chanted simultaneously before they disappeared over the hill.

Robyn waved and shook his head once the twins were out of sight with a small grin.

* * *

Later that evening, Stefan gazed out at the woods which embroidered the outskirts of the Ethelburg. It was the only thing that separated the two feuding kingdoms.

_Is Robyn a spy?_ Stefan wondered, a frown settled on the prince's face. _He doesn't look like a he could be a spy for Wilhelm._

_He saved my sister..._ small voice from the back of his head reasoned. _Yes he did, but maybe that was to gain_ _my_ _trust_ a louder voice argued defensively.

The prince sighed and jumped off the window-sill. He landed gracefully on the castle's stone floor. Either way, he was still going to meet Robyn next week, spy or innocent civilian. If Robyn was a spy, he was an awfully terrible one. Who would say that they lived in the woods? Nobody went into the woods unless it was absolutely necessary. Even if Robyn did live in the woods, was it even possible for there to be a "haven" that protected its people from the vicious beasts? Robyn said the place he lived in was "heavily shielded"... Despite how ridiculous Robyn's answer was, Stefan believed him. The prince shook his head and strode purposefully to the library.

_Author's Note-February 22, 2015_

_Stefan and Robyn are going to be a couple... eventually. I'm not really into the scenario where two of the characters fall in love and decide they're in love either the day they meet or the day after. I like it better when the two characters are friends and then start to develop feelings for each other :). And... um... no, there will not be any inappropriate "things" *cough* happening in this fanfiction. I'm honestly too embarrassed to write about that kind of stuff and um... I feel awkward talking about this right now *laughs uncomfortably*. Sorry again if you guys are disappointed by this pairing X). I've realized that for the past two chapters I've been wandering astray from the plot. I'll try to get back on track and hopefully I'll manage to keep you guys interested.  
_

_All the best,_

_-Haelan_

_( P.S. here are the characters' ages and birthdays:_

_-Robyn_

_age: fifteen_

_birthday: March 2_

_-Ailith and Stefan  
_

_age(s): sixteen_

_birthday(s): September 15_

_-Tommy_

_age: ten_

_birthday: February 13_

_-Katrina, Melody, and Lorena_

_age(s): seven_

_birthday(s): June 19_

_-Lucio_

_age: sixteen_

_birthday: August 21_

)


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